This blog has nothing to do with gorillas (though I love 'em)...fellow bloggers have inspired me to share vintage images of Disneyland from my personal collection. But don't be surprised if you see something from a World's Fair, Knott's Berry Farm, or someplace else that is cool!

Friday, November 02, 2012

I have a small lot of slides from January 1960, and they all have a misty, vaporous quality that is probably due to some camera glitch; but in a way it looks kind of cool, too.

We'll start with this nice shot of the Columbia... it's nothing we haven't seen a hundred times before, except for certain details.

Notice the pilings and what might be a pile driver, in place for the early stages of construction on Cascade Peak. The hillside has been scraped bare to prepare for further work.

We wave a magic wand, and POOF! The Columbia turns into the Mark Twain. I'd tell you how it works, but that would spoil the illusion. Plus David Copperfield would kill me.

There's the Friendly Indian Village in the distance, but what interests me is the small piece of Tom Sawyer Island visible to our left. For a short while there was a piece of cultivated land where the Indians raised corn. I always thought that Indian tribes were somewhat nomadic (meaning that they wouldn't be in any one place long enough to farm), but I'll bow to the Imagineers and assume they did their research!

One detail that changes from year to year is the type and quantities of the prop cargo on the pier waiting to be "loaded".

These pictures show bales of "something", some recent shots of yours showed barrels or casks, and today, there are a lot of wooden crates with different "insider" names painted on. It seems to change frequently.

I have always liked the Indian village and this is a great shot of the old original. the "today" version is good too. I guess Chief Wavy is out of field to the left.